Saturday, August 27, 2011

Mishal Pakistan, a strategic communication policy design social enterprise in collaboration with the Center for International Media Ethics, Zigron Training, Center for Investigative Journalists in Bosnia-Sarajevo, Naya Jeevan conducted a workshop on Investigative Journalism and Responsible Reporting in Kashmir Press Club in Mirpur Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The initiative, known as Agahi covered areas such as; Investigative Journalism and Ethics, Anti-Money-Laundering and Terrorist Organisation Funding, Journalism and Society “Millennium Development Goals’’, Reporting in Terrorism and Conflict, Social Media and Safety Training. The initiative was launched in Multan Press Club on August 22nd2011.

Syed Abid Ali Shah,
President, Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur - AJK

Talking to the gathering of the members of the media, Syed Abid Hussain Shah, President of the Kashmir Press Club, Mirpur expressed his gratitude for creating an opportunity for the journalists and emphasised the need for for more training and assured his support from the press club for improving the state of media in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. There is a need to upgrade the skills of the journalists on new media tools such as social media and crowd sourcing journalism, he further added.

Mishal Pakistan and Kashmir Press Club, signed a memorandum of understanding on capacity building and training initiatives. The initiative aims to empower the journalist community by creating learning platforms through interactive workshops, seminars and courses in specific sectors.

On the session, Puruesh Chaudhary, Ambassador to Pakistan on Media Ethics on behalf of the Center for International Media Ethics emphasized on the formulation of a unified ethics policy for the entire journalistic community to be adopted, implemented and adhered to counter special interest groups and sensationalism. The session dealt with the problems being faced by journalists, which also underscored the need for a joint code of conduct for reporters and cameramen. Journalists in Mirpur proactively discussed issues such as lack of training, non-supportive management, unavailability of basic resources, pressure groups, wages and the absence of a unified code of conduct.

The trainers highlighted socio-economic disparities which included gender/social discrimination, access to clean drinking water, environment, health and education that continue to impact the community and stressed on how investigations into such areas can reflect the changing needs and priorities.

There was a special session on safety for journalists on how to journalists can also acquire the knowledge of life saving, as journalists are usually the first people to reach a place of accident or an act of terrorism.

Amir Jahangir, CEO Mishal Pakistan

Mishal Pakistan Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Amir Jahangir in his closing remarks announced two scholarships in collaboration with the Kashmir Press Club who wish to enroll for the Masters Programme in Mass Communication, Journalism or Media Studies at any public sector universities or any other degree awarding institution in Azad Jammu Kashmir and other parts of Pakistan. The Kashmir Press Club will help Mishal in identifying the most deserving candidate for this scholarship.

Agahi, aims to utilize institutionalized, sustainable media structures in Pakistan to raise the bar of journalistic standards through training to increasing responsible, balanced reporting and investigative journalism. The initiative is being carried in collaboration with the Press Clubs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Azad Kashmir; In these series of interactions with the stakeholders a special Journalism Awards is being created to identify the most respectful and responsible journalists in investigative journalism.

The workshop was attended by more than 50 press club members. The Kashmir Press Club was founded in 1978 and has more than 70 full time members and almost 100 affiliated members.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Multan, MTT News Desk: Mishal Pakistan, a strategic communication policy design social enterprise in collaboration with the Center for International Media Ethics, Zigron Training, Center for Investigative Journalists in Bosnia-Sarajevo, Naya Jeevan launched “Agahi’’, an initiative which will increase the capacity of Investigative Journalism and Responsible Reporting at the Multan Press Club.

AGAHI to address the gaps in media ethics and reporting on investigative journalism on terrorism financing, socio-economic issues, new media, anti-money laundering and safety training .

The programme covered areas such as; Investigative Journalism and Ethics, Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Organisation Funding, Journalism and Society “Millennium Development Goals’’, Reporting in Terrorism and Conflict, Social Media, Journalism and Safety Training. The sessions were designed to be interactive with the audience to improve the understanding related to investigative journalism and responsible reporting.

Agahi, aims to utilize institutionalized, sustainable media structures in Pakistan to raise the bar of journalistic standards through training to increasing responsible, balanced reporting and investigative journalism said Puruesh Chaudhary, CIME Ambassador to Pakistan and the Chief Strategy Officer to the project.

The session in Multan underscored the need for a joint code of conduct to agree upon basic guidelines for reporters and cameramen. Journalists proactively discussed the issues they face as the threats remain real. Journalists not only fear for their own safety but for the safety of their families and relatives as well. The basic problems highlighted were lack of training, non-supportive managements, little or no backup by editorial teams, unavailability of basic resources, pressure groups (criminal and commercial), and absence of a unified code of conduct.

Mishal Pakistan and Multan Press Club, signed a memorandum of understanding on capacity building and training initiatives earlier this year. The MoU envisages empowering the media by capacity building initiatives for the members of the Multan Press Club by creating learning platform through interactive workshops, seminars and courses in specific sectors.

The initiative is being carried in collaboration with the Press Clubs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir; in the series of interactions with the stakeholders a special Journalism Awards is being created to identify the most respectful and responsible journalists in investigative journalism said AmirJahangir, Chief Executive Officer Mishal Pakistan.

Teresa Allen, representative for CIME joining the Multan Press Club journalists from California via video conference stressed on the need for continuous educational programmes for journalists in the field and the formulation of an Ethics Policy for the entire journalistic community.

Osama Bin Javaid, News Editor with DAWNNEWS highlighted that every day social issues that impact the community should be part of the news content. He further identified that the millennium development goals (MDGs) as the best tool that flags significance content development to Pakistan. The journalists discussed best practices for issues such as gender/social discrimination, health, education etc. The MDGs provide areas and in those areas specific entities to be investigated.

Asaf Akhtar, an expert in financial sector specializing in frauds and anti-money laundering gave firsthand knowledge on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Organisation Funding techniques and methodologies while giving references to the abduction of Daniel Pearl, the cases of transactions through non-banking channels such hundi and the case of NICL.

The session on Investigative Journalism and Responsible Reporting dealt with the problem being faced by journalists in far-flung conflict areas that are not major cities and where the dynamics of investigation and threats are different. Pakistan remains the most dangerous place on earth for journalists. Dr. Kamran Akmal, representing Naya Jeevan a not-for-profit organization facilitating micro-healthcare instruments encouraged journalists to take precautionary measures while covering incidents and briefed them about basic life support.

The Agahi initiative plans to engage the journalists from other parts of the country as well and it will build the capacity of the press clubs and its members to undertake initiatives on investigative journalism for responsible reporting in Pakistan.

The programme covered areas such as; Investigative Journalism and Ethics, Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Organisation Funding, Journalism and Society “Millennium Development Goals’’, Reporting in Terrorism and Conflict, Social Media, Journalism and Safety Training. The sessions were designed to be interactive with the audience to improve the understanding related to investigative journalism and responsible reporting.

Agahi, aims to utilize institutionalized, sustainable media structures in Pakistan to raise the bar of journalistic standards through training to increasing responsible, balanced reporting and investigative journalism said Puruesh Chaudhary, CIME Ambassador to Pakistan and the Chief Strategy Officer to the project.

The session in Multan underscored the need for a joint code of conduct to agree upon basic guidelines for reporters and cameramen. Journalists proactively discussed the issues they face as the threats remain real. Journalists not only fear for their own safety but for the safety of their families and relatives as well. The basic problems highlighted were lack of training, non-supportive managements, little or no backup by editorial teams, unavailability of basic resources, pressure groups (criminal and commercial), and absence of a unified code of conduct.

Mishal Pakistan and Multan Press Club, signed a memorandum of understanding on capacity building and training initiatives earlier this year. The MoU envisages empowering the media by capacity building initiatives for the members of the Multan Press Club by creating learning platform through interactive workshops, seminars and courses in specific sectors.

The initiative is being carried in collaboration with the Press Clubs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir; in the series of interactions with the stakeholders a special Journalism Awards is being created to identify the most respectful and responsible journalists in investigative journalism said Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer Mishal Pakistan.

Teresa Allen, representative for CIME joining the Multan Press Club journalists from California via video conference stressed on the need for continuous educational programmes for journalists in the field and the formulation of an Ethics Policy for the entire journalistic community.

Osama Bin Javaid, News Editor with DAWNNEWS highlighted that every day social issues that impact the community should be part of the news content. He further identified that the millennium development goals (MDGs) as the best tool that flags significance content development to Pakistan. The journalists discussed best practices for issues such as gender/social discrimination, health, education etc. The MDGs provide areas and in those areas specific entities to be investigated.

Asaf Akhtar, an expert in financial sector specializing in frauds and anti-money laundering gave firsthand knowledge on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Organisation Funding techniques and methodologies while giving references to the abduction of Daniel Pearl, the cases of transactions through non-banking channels such hundi and the case of NICL.

The session on Investigative Journalism and Responsible Reporting dealt with the problem being faced by journalists in far-flung conflict areas that are not major cities and where the dynamics of investigation and threats are different. Pakistan remains the most dangerous place on earth for journalists. Dr. Kamran Akmal, representing Naya Jeevan a not-for-profit organization facilitating micro-healthcare instruments encouraged journalists to take precautionary measures while covering incidents and briefed them about basic life support.

The Agahi initiative plans to engage the journalists from other parts of the country as well and it will build the capacity of the press clubs and its members to undertake initiatives on investigative journalism for responsible reporting in Pakistan.

Monday, August 1, 2011

August 2011 - CIME starts partnership with Mishal Pakistan to strengthen media ethics in Pakistan through the Agahi project.

As a fist step of the collaboration, a series of Investigative Journalism and Ethics workshops are organised in Multan Press Club and Kashmir Press Club where Teresa Allen, representative of CIME from California participates via video conference to answer questions of the local journalists about global media ethics and the Media Ethics Survey report recently conducted by CIME. Read the Press Release